Improved car-coupling



I 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1. R. CAMPION & W. THOMPSON, Jr. v

Car Coupling. v No. 88,130. Patented March 23, 1869.

, 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 2. R.-CAMP|0N & w., THOMPSON, Jr.

Car Coupling. No. 88,130. Patentd March 23,1869.

patent @Jfiiiu.

RICHARD CAMPION AND JAMES W. THOMSON, JR., OF CAMDEN,

NEW J E RSE Y.

Letters Patent No. 88,130, dated March 23, 1869.

IMPROVED CAR-COUPLING.

Til B Schedule referred to i these Letter. Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may 0mm.-

-or latch, which yields in one direction to admit the link,

but is unyielding in the other direction, in order to retain the link in the draw-head.- The object of the first part of our invention is to lift the pawl readily, to uncouple the cars, and to hold it up. out of the draw-head when required; and I Our improvement consists in a novel method of combining with the dmw-ne'ad a vertically-swinging locking-pawl, and an oval ring attached to the pawl, in such manner that the ring forms a handle by which to lift the pawl, and also, when the pawl is raised, as a stop to hold it up, by passing the longer side of the ellipse of the ring over the pawl, and then, by turning the ring half round, its shorter-axis comes beneath the pawl,

but above the draw-head, and supports the pawl from descending.

The object of the next part of our invention is to prevent strain on the pivot of the pawl; and

. Our improvement consists in a novel methodof com bining, with the draw-head, a pawl, swinging vertically on a pivot in the draw-head, the hole through the pawl,

in which the pivot-pin'fits, being made eccentric to and larger than the pivot when the pawl is down, so as to allow the pawl toabut against the draw-head itself, and thus relieve the pivots of strain.

Our invention further consists in a novel method of forming therecessesabove mentioned, by securing a pin, or stud, of hard metal, in the draw-head, to form the partition between the two recesses.

In the accompanying drawings, which show all our improvements as embodied in one coupling- Figure 1 is a top view of our improved coupling;

fi Figure 2 is a horizontal section at the line a: x of I Figure 3 is a side elevation; and

Figure 4, a vertical section at the line 11 y of fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a top view, showing the oval-shaped ring supporting the pawl out of position;

Figure 6 is a top view, showing the oval-shaped ring with the pawl in position;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of fig. 5; and

Figure 8 is a vertical section at the line 2 2 of fig. 6, showing also a modification of the recesses in the draw-head. I

We make the draw-head A of any suitable exterior form, in this instance having lugs, a, on its upper surface, to form bearings for the pivot 0f the pawl, but

give it a flaring throat, B.

At the back of this throat we form two recesses, b b, the lower recess, 1), being, in some cases, deeper than the upperone, b, as in fig. 4 but we prefer, for reasons hereinafter given, to make them of equal depth, and in all cases each of them should be in height somewhat more than the diameter of the link to be used. These recesses may be formed either by making the back of the throat deeper below than above the point a, as in fig. 4, or by curving the, back of the throat into two nearly semicircular divisions, as seen in fig. 8, and we prefer to insert or cast in at the point a, a pin, or studpiece, a, fig. 8, of steel, or other metal, in either case the space between the projecting point a, and the bottom of the throat, and between the'projeoting point a and the top of the throat, being somewhat greater in height than the diameter of the link, and of suflicient depth for the point a to overlap the end of the link, and hold it in a horizontal position in the lower recess.

A 'vertical longitudinal slot, D, is made through the top of the draw-head, and through the lugs'.

In the bottom of the draw-head is another slot, or curved depression F, shorter than the slot D, through the top.

A pin, or bolt 0, is passed through holes provided in the lugs on top of the draw-head, and crosses the slot D, passing through and serving as a pivot for the pawl.

The pawl E is made of the general form shown in the drawings, figs. 1, 4, 7, 8, being so shaped as, when in position, to present, at its front upper edge, a bearing against the front end of the slot D, in which slot it is pivoted upon the bolt 0, which passes through a hole in the front upper end, or shoulder of the pawl. From this bearingedge the pawl curves upward and backward sniiiciently to admit of its turning freely on its pivot against the face of the slot D. It then extends back a distance greater than half the length of the slot D, the distance to which it thus extends back being more or less beyond the middle of the length of the slot, according to the amount of lost motion which it,

is desired to take up. It then turns downward, in a straight line, at its back edge, to a point near the floor of the draw-head, where it curves downward and forward along the recess, or slot F, to the front end, or face of this slot, and from this point it rises with the front edge or face of the slot F, and gradually curves forward to the bottom of the slot D, thus completing its outline.

This pawl is of such thickness as to insure ample strength, and is adapted to swing freely in the slots D and F upon its pivot c.

The hole in the pawl,-thro ugh'which the bolt 0 passes, is elongated, so that thevpawl has some play upon its pivot lengthwise of the slot.

It will thus'be seen that the pawl is of such form,

and. so slung in the slot, as to insure its instantaneous action. ,It has a long facial bearing against the front of the slot, a rounded shoulder, to admit of its turning freely on its pivot, a long straight back, which takes up all, or nearly all of the motion that is unavoidably lost when a shallow pin or latch is used, a long facial bearing at the front edge of its base, perpendicular, or nearly so, to the pivot on which it turns against the front edge of the recess, or slot, in the bottom of the draw-head, and a curved bottom, to admit of its swinging freely back and forth in this recess, a positive preponderance of weight back of its pivotal point, insuring its instantly falling back into position whenever raised or pushed back by the link, and remaining in position until lifted by hand; and in addition to its bearing against the front of the slot, or recess F, it is pressed against it by its weight, while the foreshortenin g of the base of the pawl secures thelongest possible range of upwardmotion within the shortest possible range of backward motion, thus making the coupling as close as possible, or as close as isconsistent with the avoidance of undue strain on the link in curving.

In the drawings, which are of half size, we have shown the link so coupled as to allow three-quarters of an inch of lost motion in the draw-head, but as the requirements of diflerent railroads demand some variance in this respect, due regard must be paid to these requirements, the pawl being made smaller or larger, as more or less lost motion isrequired.

Furthermore, the peculiar pivoting and bearings of the pawl relieve the bolt, or pin 0, of all'strain whatever, under any circumstances, the link always drawing the pawl directly against the faces of the slots D and F, and not drawing on the bolt, while, at the same time, the elongated hole in the pawl permits it to play enough upon the pivot to compensate for the wear of the faces of the pawl, or of the slots, thus maintaining always the close contact of the bearing-surfaces.

.An oval-shaped ring is attached in any suitable manher to the top, of the, pawl, and rests upon the drawhead when the pawl is in position. This ring serves to lift the pawl, in uncoupling the cars, and. when it is desired, the pawl may be raised until \its lower end comes outside of the draw-head, and the ring then passed lengthwise over the base of the pawl, and then turned, so as to bring it crosswise of the slot, and under the pawl, thus shortening the axis of the ring parallel with the pawl, so that the pawl will rest upon and be supported by the ring. (See figs. 5 and 7.)

Of the two recesses, 12 b, in the draw-head, the lower one, 1), serves to hold the link (which is pressed back into the recess) by one end, horizontal, or nearly so, insuring the entrance of the other end of the link into the draw-head of the approaching car, when the drawheads of the two cars are in about the same horizontal plane, and the outer end of the link thus held will also rise to any height required in coupling a lower to a higher draw-head.

The upper recess, 6, is called into requisition in coupling cars, the draw-heads of which are in planes so different that their throats do not come nearly opposite each other, in which case one end of the link, being in the upper recess b of the higher draw-head, the deflection of its outer end would be such that it woiild enter the draw-head of the lower car, and efi'ect the coupling.,

We prefer to make the 'two recesses of equal depth, as shown in fig. 8, so that in all cases the depth of the throatsand recesses in the two draw-heads which come together, being greater than the length of the link, the draw-heads will cover the link entirely before they come together, and thus prevent any jamming or crushing of the links.

Having thus described our improved car-coupling,

What we claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the pawl and draw-head,

f of the oval-shaped ring, as and for the purpose described. v

2. The combination, with the draw-head and coupling-link, of the pawl, constructed as described, and slotted eocentrically, as set forth, to prevent strain on its pivot.

3. Forming the two recesses in the draw-head by a pin, or stud piece, of steel, or other suitable metal, se cured in the draw-head, as described. I

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

RICHARD OAMPION. JAMES W. THOMSON, JR. Witnesses:

HENRY BALDWIN, J r., O. E. Pnoor. 

